Floor and wall joint



July 6, 1965 M. A. wlETlNG 3,192,576

l FLOOR AND wALL JOINT Filed Aug. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ffy/f ff i@ 1 I gli FIM..

July 6, 1965 M. A. wlETlNG FLOOR AND WALL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 United States Patent O 3,192,576 FLUR AND WALL .EINT Merlin A. Wieting, 365 S. Main, Brillion, Wis. Filed Aug. 9, 1%2, Ser. No. 215,876 Ciaims. till. 2tl 7t} rl`his invention relates to a door and Wall joint and to a preformed corne-r for use therewith.

One purpose of the invention is a floor and Wall joint in which a flexible loor covering, for example linoleum, extends from the oor partly up along the side wall, and which includes means for covering the upper edge of the iiexible door covering and the slits at the corners.

Another purpose is a preformed member which can be used in a door and wall joint to cover the otherwise visible vertical edges of the ilexible oor covering.

Another purpose is a simple and inexpensive preformed corner member for use in a joint `of the type described.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specication, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective of a portion ot a finished iloor and wall joint,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan View illustrating one of the corners shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a section along plane 3 3 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a section along plane 4 4 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a section along plane 5 5 of FIG- URE 3,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged top plan View illustrating another of the corners of FiGURE l,

-FIGURE 7 is a section along plane 7 7 oi FIG- URE 6,

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged top plan view of a vertical edge, as shown in FIGURE l, and

FIGURE 9 is a section along plane 9 9 of FIG- URE 8.

In FIGURE l, a flexible lloor covering it), which may be linoleum, or any other material conventionally used as a iloor covering for kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms, and the like, may cover a ioor undersurface i2 and may extend partly rup along walls 14. That portion of the floor covering which extends upwardly along the walls is indicated at i6 in FlGURE 1. As shown in FIG- URE 3, there may be a base member 'i8 which extends along the joint between the lioor and wall and tor-ms a support for the iloor covering at the joint. Preferably the base member 18, which may be wood or the like, has a somewhat arcuate upper ysurface Zt) which allows the floor covering to form a smooth curve between the wall and iloor.

ri'he upper edge 22 ot the floor covering may be covered or masked by a suitable border member 24, which may be a metal strip or the like and which has a front portion 26 which extends partly down the surface of the rloor covering and a back portion 28 which extends a substantial distance behind the lloor covering and is used to hold the upper edge of the floor covering to the wall.

As each of the corners of the room and adjacent each door, it is necessary to mask or cover the vertical edges of the iioor covering. At the corners it is necessary to slit that portion of the iloor covering extending upwardly along the wall in order to have a smooth joint. This slit will extend partly along the curved portion of the door covering at the joint. In order to cover this slit I may provide a corner member 30 which is used for an outside corner or a corner member 32 which is used for an inside corner. I also provide a member 3d which is used at ICC the edge where the floor covering joins molding or the like 36.

Considering iirst the outside corne-r 36 which is illustrated in FIGURES 2-5, the corner may include a lower curved portion 38 which has the same general contour or curvature as the surface 2li of the base i8. The corne-r also includes a main upright portion 4i? which extends vertically upward along the wall surface. The main portion iii may include a pair of side walls i2 and 44 which may form an angle other than 90 degrees with each other. The walls 42 and dri will not lie ush against the upright surface of the door covering after the corner has been put in place, but they will approach the plane of the wall to some extent. This is clearly indicated in FIGURE 5. The walls 52 and 44 form the outside surface of the corner member and are continuous with the lower curved portion 33. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, there may -be a generally central stabilizer 45 which is located midway between the walls 42 and 44 or generally bisects the angle between these walls and is positioned down at the bottom of the corner, with a part of the stabilizer 45 underlying the curved portion 3S. The stabilizer 45 may be cut back, as at 45, for ease in assembly and may have barbs .or the like 47 so that the corner cannot he pulled out. In practice, the base member l will not be accurately joined at the corner and there will be space for the member 45 to be positioned between land to contact adjacent base portions. The barbs 47 may Contact the edges of the base 18 to prevent withdrawal of the corner.

The inside edges of the walls 42 and 44 may have a plurality of spaced teeth d which have a depth approxima-ting the thickness of the oor covering. In this way the teeth may pierce the door covering and attach the corner thereto, but do not pierce the wall proper. If the teeth were to pierce the wall it would be quite difficult to properly place the corner and drive it into position. There need not be a great number of teeth and four or so is an adequate number. Preferably the teeth 4S are not in the same plane as the walls Zand 144 but tend to converge more toward each other, as illustrated in FlG- URE 5. The teeth may each have a generally horizontal upper edge da and a lower upwardly slanted edge 43h.

The top of the corner 30 may include a hook Sil. The hook 5t) overlies the border member 2:3 and has an upper flat section 5i and a pair of downwardly extending sections 52 which extend behind the border.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate the inside corner 32. The structure is substantially the same as the corner 3@ except that the walls converge at a different angle. Again there is a llower curved portion 54 backed up by a stabilizer 55, and a main portion 5S which extends vertically upward. The stabilizer 55 may be cut back, as at 56, and may have barbs 57. At the top there is a hook t? which has a back portion e?. adapted to extend behind the border 24. The main upright portion 53 has side walls 6d and no each of which have projecting teeth 68.

Considering FIGURES 8 and 9, the member 34 only masks one edge of the floor covering, but spans the space between the molding 35 and the edge of the iloor covering. Member 34 may include a lower curved portion iti backed up by a stabilizer 72 and a main upright portion 74 with a hook '76 at the top. The visible slanted wall 78 has teeth which are adapted to pierce the iloor covering and are used in securing the member 34. Integral with the wall 78 is a wall 82 which is adapted to lie ilush against the molding 36 and is hidden from view once the l member 34 is in position. The wall 82 may be integral with the stabilizer 72. and may merely be an upwardextension of the base. The teeth Sil on the inside edge of Y* the wall 7S are not in the same plane as the wall, but lorm an angle with the wall as was true with the corners Sil and 32. f

The use, operation and function of the invention are as follows: j

In forming the iloor and wall joint as shown, the floor covering will ilrst be laid on the rloor proper after which slits will be made at the corner so that the iioor covering may extend partly up along the walls and t smoothly against the walls. The door covering may extend two to four inches up along the walls, depending upon what would normally be used for molding. The base 1S will extend along the joint between the iloor and the wall and is used to support the iioor covering, for example linoleurn or the like, at the joint. ln this way there is a smooth curvature between thel door portion and the wall portion. The border will be attached to the wall by screws, tacks or the like and the upper edges of the `door covering will be slipped inside of the border. The corner members are then hooked over the top of the border. Next, the corners are driven into the linoleum surface to mask the opposing edge of the lino-leunt. Preferably a wooden tool or the like having a contour which matches that of the corner members is used in driving the teeth oi` the corner members into the floor covering. in this connection it is preferable that the corner members be formed of a light gauge metal, which is attractive. For example, aluminum, a light gauge steel, or possibly tin, any one of which may be Chromed, is a suitable material for the corners. A different tool will be needed for each type of corner and for the edge pieces 3e, however these tools are fairly simple to construct.

it is advantageous to have the lower edge of the teeth upwardly slanted as the corners are, in eiect, hinged at the top by the hooks. With the teeth formed in this manner the corners will each be pulled snug against the wall and firmly held down as they are driven in.

The door and wall joint shown and described is simple and easy to construct. By having the loor covering run up along the walls it is not necessary to use molding at the joint between the wall and the door. In addition, the base members 18 need not be precisely and accurately cut at the corners nor niitered, as it will be covered at the corner joints by the corner members.

The invention is advantageous in that a iloor can be laid without using molding at the wall joint. 'The oor can be quickly and easily laid and is quite attractive.

The stabilizer will extend between and Contact adjacent portions of the base to prevent sidewise movement of the corner and to stabilize it. The barbs on the stabilizer will pervent removal of the corners.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto, within the scope of the following clairns.

claim:

l. A floor and wall joint for a room including a door undersurface and a wall surface generally at right angles thereto, a iiexiole floor covering on said `floor undersnrface and having continuous curved portions extending partly up along the wall surface, a base member extendbeneath and contacting the curved portion ot the door covering between the wall and floor, said base member being split at the wall corners of the rooin, a border member covering the upper edge of said iiexible covering adjacent the wall surface, said ioor covering being slit at the wall corners of the upwardly extending portions, and a corner member overlying each slit and located at the wall corners of the room, each corner member having converging side walls and a lower curved portion extending outwardly from the corner and overlying the iloor cover, said side Walls gradually merging into said lower curved portion, each corner member having a hook at its upper end which overlies the border member, each corner further having a generally central lower vertical stabilizer bisecting the angle between said side walls and extending downwadly and beneath said curved portion, said stabilizer extending between the split portions of said base and contacting adjacent base portions to stabilize said corner in position and'to prevent sidewise movement of said corner.

2. The structure of claim l further characterized in that the side walls or" each cornermernber have a plurality of inwardly directed teeth for piercing the tiexible door covering and attaching the corner to it.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that said teeth are spaced along the inner edge of each side wall and form an angle with the side wall to which they are attached.

d. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that said teeth are spaced, with each tooth having an upper generally horizontal surface and a lower upwardly slanting surface.

5. The structure of clairn 1l further characterized by barbs on said stabilizer to prevent removal of the corner member.

Reterences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS IACOB L. NACKENGFF, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLOOR AND WALL JOINT FOR A ROOM INCLUDING A FLOOR UNDERSURFACE AND A WALL SURFACE GENERALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, A FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERING ON SAID FLOOR UNDERSURFACE AND HAVING CONTINUOUS CURVED PORTIONS EXTENDING PARTLY UP ALONG THE WALL SURFACE, A BASE MEMBER EXTENDING BENEATH AND CONTACTING THE CURVED PORTION OF THE FLOOR COVERING BETWEEN THE WALL AND FLOOR, SAID BASE MEMBER BEING SPLIT AT THE WALL CORNERS OF THE ROOM, A BORDER MEMBER COVERING THE UPPERE EDGE OF SAID FLEXIBLE COVERING ADJACENT THE WALL SURFACE, SAID FLOOR COVERING BEING SLIT AT THE WALL CORNERS OF THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONS, AND A CORNER MEMBER OVERLYING EACH SLIT AND LOCATED AT THE WALL CORNERS OF THE ROOM, EACH CORNER MEMBER HAVING CONVERGING SIDE WALLS AND A LOWER CURVED PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CORNER AND OVERLYING THE FLOOR COVER, SAID SIDE WALLS GRADUALLY MERGING INTO SAID LOWER CURVED PORTION, EACH CORNER MEMBER HAVING A HOOK AT ITS UPPER END WHICH OVERLIES THE BORDER MEMBER, EACH CORNER FURTHER HAVING A GENERALLY CENTRAL LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER BISECTING THE ANGLE BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND BENEATH SAID CURVED PORITON, SAID STABILIZER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SPLITE PORTIONS OF SAID BASE AND CONTACTING ADJACENT BASE PORTIONS TO STABILIZE SAID CORNER IN POSITION AND TO PREVENT SIDEWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID CORNER. 